Egg tray for incubators



R. T. REINSPERG EGG TRAY FOR INCUBATORS Filed Oct. 30, 1922 .mwa

3 111x214? of,

Patented .lune 3, 1924.

' s'riss RUDOLPH "l". REINSPERG, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

EGG- TRAY FOR INCUBATORS.

Application led October 30, 1922. Serial No. 597,710.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, RUDOLPH T. REIN- srnRG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Egg Trays for Incubators; and I do herebyV declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in incubators and had for one of its principal objects the provision of an egg-holding tray for an incubator which shall be so constructed and mounted in the incubator that it may be readily withdrawn from the warming cabinet, turned upside-down and as readily replaced within a very short space of time, and with a minimum expenditure of time and trouble. j

One of the important objects of thisincubator is the provision of anl improved-construction whereby a tray-full ofeggs, numbering approximately one hundred, or more or less as the occasion requires, may be conveniently and readily turned completely over and replaced into position in the incubator without any possibility of breakage and in the shortest possible space of time.

As is well known, inthe hatching of eggs by artificial means, as by incubatore orthe like, it is necessary thatl the eggs be yturned or shifted at regular intervals, and also that they be maintained at a very even temperature throughout the hatching period. Ordinarily, this turning of the eggs requires considerable time and often allows the batch to cool, with the result that the hatching oper-` ation is not as successful as it should be.

It is the object of this invention to eliminate the above named diiiiculties in a practical manner.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specication.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 kis a top plan view of the improved device of this invention, shown in operative position, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device, p0rtions being shown in section.

Figure 3 isa detail sectional view of the main operating part of the structure, ltaken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. f

Figure 4 illustrates a preferred form of latching means for maintaining .the two hinged halves of the tray in locked relation.

As shown in the drawings:

`The reference numeral 10 indicates a cabinet such as is usual in incubators, and which is designed to form a zone which may be readily heated to the required temperature. The lower portion of the cabinet, shown in the drawings, accommodates the egg tray, designated broadly by the reference numeral 12, andthe upper or remaining portions may be used as a broeder for the hatched chicks.

The size of the cabinet mayy be varied to receive any number or sizes of trays, and any convenient heating means maybe used. The heating means forms no partof the present invention and is not illustrated.

Thek cabinet v10 is fitted up with suitable I grooves or slides 14 adapted Vto slidably receive tray supports in the form of bars 16, which may be of any desired material, as wood or metal. stantially the same length as the grooves 14, and are adapted to be pushed back to their fullest extent into said grooves when the cabinet is closed. A pair ofjsaid bars or supports is provided for each tray l2. f

Each of the vsupportsorpbars 16 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot or runway 18. Theslot or runway`18 is enlarged in the middle of the bar 16 forming longitudinally extending depressions along both the upper and lower surfaces thereof for the accommodation of a roller or the like 20. The rollers are mounted on axles 22 fitted into opposite sides of the tray 12 and at approximately the middle portion of each side. In this manner it will be evident that the tray may be readily turned on an axis formed by the axles 22 and rollers 20, especially when the rollers are supported in the grooves 18 provided therefor.

The grooves 18 are provided with extensions 24 at right angles thereto and extending upwardly therefrom at their outer ends, asbest shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2. These extensions provide for the ready removal of thetrays from the cabinet when such removal is desired or necessary, and the slots 18 permit of longitudinal motion of the tray 12 with respect to the bars 16,

These bars 16 are of sub- Y from each other, and :to moreover' retain them in position whenever the tray is turned in "accordance with the principles of the invention;

It will be noted that the ypartit-ions 30 of the top portion of the tray 28 are deeperI than the corresponding partition members 32 of .the lower tray 26. This is to provide a means of free egress for the. chicks when hatched, as the upper tray 28 is removed a few hours before the eggs are due to hatch out, thereby allowing the chicks to scramble over Vany remaining eggs and the low partitions32 to an opening 3% provided in the tray through which they can drop to the broeder below. The open-ing 34 is normallyclo'sed, except at the ntime when the eggs are opening. y y v Aspiring impelled pin 36 is mounted in `asuitablesocket in each ofthe bars 16, .and

the ifree ends of the .pins are adapted yto engage in depressions 38 inthe tray mein- `:bers 26, by which means accidental displace ment of lthe'tray is prevented.

The trays v26 vand 28 are rlocked into operative relation with eachother 'by means oi' 'hooks Litl-at the back :of the tray, and a latch r#42,- orsimilar-element at the front thereof.

Theeperation is as follows: The tray l2 is withdrawn from the cabinet 'in an'obvious manner and Vthelower portion iilled with eggs, after which the upper menr' ber is locked into position thereon. The. incubation is then started, after the tray has been pushed into position in the cabinet. At regular intervals, the tray is withdrawn through the opening in the cabinet, which is ordinariiy closed by the door 44. The ap plication of a slight force will serve to disengage the pins 36, after which the tray can be completely turned over on the axis formed by thev axles 22 and which operate by means of the rollers 20. The pins 36 automatically lock the tra-y in its new position, and it can be immediately replaced in the cabinet.

It will be seen that by means of this imv2 proved invention, an entire lot of eggs inl process of incubation can be readily and conveniently turned in a minimum period of time, thereby eliminating any danger of undue cooling, and saving the labor of turning the eggs singly by hand or otherwise.

am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction varied through wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

-An incubator including a cabinet, a door@ in said cabinet, supporting bars slidableArr through the opening covered by the door,

anda two-section egg tray slidably and removably mounted in said supporting bars,

said egg-tray comprising' a pair of interfitting wire-bottom sections, and egg-spacing and retaining partitions rigidly fastened to each section, thepartitions in onevsection being of greater height than those of the other section.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

RUDOLPH T. REINSPERG. 

